Kitchari is one of the most balancing and easy to digest complete meals in ayurvedic medicine. It is a great during fasting or cleanse periods, especially spring.

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice

1 cup yellow split mung daal

6 cups distilled or purified water

1 inch piece of shredded ginger, peeled and chopped

1 small handful of fresh cilantro

1 cup spinach or seasonal veggies

½ cup chopped carrots

3 tbsp ghee

¾ tsp cumin seeds

5 whole cardamom pods (or ½ tsp seeds)

¼ tsp turmeric

1 inch piece of cinnamon bark

3 bay leaves

½ tsp Himalayan pink salt (to taste)

Directions

Wash mung and rice until water is clear to remove excess starch.

Soak the daal overnight or for a few hours to help digestibility (optional).

Put rinsed rice and mung daal in a pot with water and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes

Add remaining seasonal veggies to the pot and stir well. Cover pot and cook about 20 to 25 min. until mung daal is soft.

Heat ghee over medium heat in another saucepan. Add, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves, or as preferred. Gently stir until you hear mustard seeds start to pop and see the other seeds start to turn brown (about 3 minutes).

Stir sautéed spices with the turmeric into the rice and mung daal and mix well. Garnish with cilantro (or parsley) leaves and serve immediately.